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Category Archives: Pregnancy

I haven’t written very much lately, I have been very busy. Not only do we have the holidays right around the corner, Bunny and I still have quite a bit left to do before Little Miss makes her debut. I also thought I would go ahead and give NaNoWriMo a shot this year. I enjoyed that for two entire weeks. Not to say I stopped enjoying it, I just got too stressed to continue. I like my story idea though, so maybe I will revisit it next year. I met some fun people, and I had a good time, and some GREAT hot chocolate. (I am so happy to know that there is a South bend Chocolate Company Chocolate Cafe IN the hospital where I am planning on delivering!) During all of this I didn’t even notice when I crossed over into month 9. I guess I felt like I was waiting for that week 37 mile marker, and just kind of lumped the two things together. Well, I passed it. Today is day one of week 38!

37 weeks, that’s full term people! Home stretch! Egads my house isn’t clean! Ok, that’s not entirely true. My house is clean! I can’t really take much credit for that, Bunny has been doing an awful lot around here. I just don’t feel like things are just right yet. I am trying to get over it. I really kind of have to. I can’t expect anyone else to express my insanity in how I think the house should be, and I certainly can’t do it myself. My body has decided that we should celebrate the end of this pregnancy the way we celebrated the beginning. With a horrible cold!

Right before I found out that I was pregnant I got sick. I mean SICK! It was just a cold. Lol, JUST a cold. The cold that time forgot. For 3 weeks I was couch ridden and surrounded with tissues and drugs of all sorts. Like I said, I didn’t know I was pregnant, and on the rare occasion that I do get sick I am a pansy and suck down cold medicine. Nothing helped, nothing could touch this cold. I had never experienced anything like it. I am normally pretty healthy. I get the sniffles and sometimes that ucky hacking cough from time to time. It usually passes quickly though.

3 weeks… Well, shortly after that I found out that my immune system was compromised in an attempt to keep my body from rejecting it’s new little friend. I will never forget that cold though, I felt like I was going to die. I felt… a lot like I feel RIGHT NOW!!! I got sick about a week ago, and ran straight out for some sudafed. Magic red pills I call them. That and some tissues and voila, I was feeling better a mere two days later. What a joke! I felt well for an entire DAY then I started coughing. You know that lovely feeling when you lay down and suddenly your nose plugs up and you can’t breath? Yea, I had that in my throat. It didn’t stop me from breathing, but it did scare the bujeezus out of me and I couldn’t sleep. It’s been most of a week, and despite a killer sinus headache that just won’t quit, I am starting to feel better. What a relief. The last thing I need is to be sick when I go into labor. Could you imagine that? Coughing and pushing? Egads, it hurts my chest to think about it.

That has been my last two weeks, and hopefully it ends soon. I am really feeling helpless. I can’t lean over the sink without standing so far away that I have to rest on my arms. So dishes are a challenge. I can’t reach my left leg at ALL. So, shoes socks, even pants are things I need help with. Once in a while I make the mistake of getting down on the floor to do something and I can’t get back up. This morning I left the bathroom door open while I showered in case I needed help! I get reports that I snore so loud that no body near me can sleep. I hate to admit it but it wakes me up too.

Throughout all of this (and random crying fits) Bunny has come to my rescue every single time. Even tonight when I needed some caffeine as a last ditch effort to get this headache to break, he ran out and got it for me. I woke up around 3am a couple days ago and he was still up. Did I complain? Oh no, nonono, he was on his second load with the dishwasher. I let him be. He is working hard on the baby’s room too, trying to get my vision for what it should look like onto the walls as soon as he can. I did try to help paint, but my hands were screaming within minutes, and it wasn’t long after that that my back and hips were too. I don’t think I could have designed a better partner through this.

Not much more of this though. I have this nagging feeling, though not so strong as the one that told me she was a girl, that she will come early. My Mom has decided that she needs to come on a Wednesday evening, or over Thanksgiving. That way she can take off a little time from work to be here for it. That would be nice. Bunny’s Mom was going to be here right after she was born, but unfortunately she can’t get time off work. I have other family here, so i won’t be hurting for help, but it would be really nice if my own Mom could make it. This is kind of a big deal! If she does come early, hopefully it’s not too early. There are still a few things, like paining the bedroom, that need to be completed. It shouldn’t take us long though. We’re going shopping Friday or Saturday for the last few things we need to have around the house before she comes, then I will feel prepared. The hospital bag is packed, her clothes are washed, and right now, this Mama to be is going to bed!

Any resemblance to situations that may have occured in real life is purely uncoincedental.

In the world of pregnancy, life is not gum drops and rainbows, this shit is real folks.

You might need a towel…

I am a member of a very special group of women. We all happen to be due in or close to December 2011. We’re also all a little nutty. If you thought that women can’t bring themselves to discuss the dirty, the stinky, and the raunchy, let me tell you, you were wrong! Maybe it takes having something pretty big in common, like being pregnant together, to bring out the ick factor in a bunch of girls, but social norms be damned, nothing is sacred anymore. Be prepared, if you thought pregnant women were all glowy and beautiful shitting glitter you are about to learn otherwise. The books don’t cover everything.

Let’s get right in there, no reason to put it off and uh… candy coat it. Constipation! Everyone has suffered it at some point, no use denying it. We just don’t talk about it. Who really cares or wants to hear about other people’s poo business anyway?! Well, pregnant women tend to enjoy discussing this. We talk all things poo all the time. Who is, and who isn’t doing it, when where and how frequently. There may be a case for having us committed, or at least put on a farm where we can all giggle and eat and poo to our hearts content.

Ooohh! I can’t poo!!! What I would do for a good poo!!! – Lady Banger

MY HEMORRHOIDS HAVE FLARED UP AGAIN!!! – Lana Fanny

I didn’t expect constipation and hemorrhoids to be this bad. – Tonya Fuzzynuts

I have hemorrhoids that look like a cluster of tiny grapes!! AAAKK – Lady Banger

I wish I had a plug…I swear I dont poo for five days then im in there 24 times a day… – Exotica Dangler

Oh, and it’s not just poo…

I seriously just laughed so hard I peed a little! – Kara Stroker

They are making me pee in a hat and keep it in my fridge! – Kara Lottatang

omg I have peed and sneezed myself at the same time FIVE TIMES TODAY!! I HAVE PEE RUNNING DOWN MY LEG!! I PEED IN THE GROCEREY STORE MEAT ISLE!! – Lady Banger

I sneeze and I pee myself, I cough and I pee myself, I laugh and I pee myself, I get kicked repeatedly from the inside, and I pee myself. I now need depends – Exotica Dangler

This summer, my crotch was wet for 3 months. I peed my pants constantly and it was so hot that even when I didn’t pee my pants it looked like I did because of sweat. – Barbie Cucumber

Sometimes, when I manage not to pee myself, I announce it with fanfare – Kara Lottatang

And wouldn’t you know it, it’s not just pee either.

Ok we won’t go into that one… it’s slimy and sticky and, no I lied, let’s go

So there is this white slimey stuff in my underpants… – Kara Lottatang

Your boobs may leak and drip, along with just about everything else that it able to. Sleep is so hard to come by for me that when I do sleep my body goes into like, sleep starvation mode. I sleep so deeply that I drool everywhere! It wakes me up and I have to wipe my face and turn my pillow! The sneezes, oh the sneezes. I haven’t sneezed this much in my life. I started to worry that I may be allergic to Little Miss. Pregnant women are still women though. We still care about how we look, and really would like to carry on the way we always have. Sometimes though, that is simply not an option…

Oh! And varicose veins that look like road maps! – Cara Darkholer

And not being able to see while shaving the honey pot! 😀 – Cara Darkholer

Can you come over and help me groom my vajayjay? I need a real friend to help me, someone honest with a steady hand who won’t lop off my labia! – Lady Banger

I made up a magical world and drew its road map in my stretch marks – Exotica Dangler

AND THE ZITS!!!! On all FOUR cheeks!!!! – Cara Darkholer

and the horrible bleching and gas that comes… – Tonya Fuzzynuts

Don’t forget the gas! Farting in public is no longer embarrassing! – Kara Stroker

OMG and the big huge dark nipples! Does anyone ELSE have little tiny bumps all over their nipples?! – Kara Lottatang

oh and im so emotional that when my boyfriend tries to pick off what he thinks is one of his stray hairs from my chin and it ends up being ATTACHED i start bawling, and then i make myself cough, and then i throw up and pee at the same time! – Exotica Dangler

I’ve managed to sneak away from the cursed zit monster. I however had some weird bump on my thigh that looked like it wanted to pop but never did. – Lady Banger

my nipples look like the freaking Andes mountains its very strange…dark, bumpy… (slightly hairy from time to time) – Exotica Dangler

I go to bed early so I have time alone to fart. It used to be so i would have time alone for me time, but now I fart instead – Kara Lottatang

Yes, pregnancy is a beautiful thing. It is also a painful thing, as if the title to this post didn’t tell you that already.

And breaking ribs from octopus kicks! – Cara Darkholer

I never expected it to feel like my pelvic bone was gonna pop in half. – Kara Slapalot

Pelvic pain is excruciating. – Barbie Cucumber

I did not expect the extreme heartburn – Kinky Sticky

The pelvic pain and all this icky discharge. It really wasn’t like this the first time – Sandy Slamm

Yes, we are in pain. Expect pain, and plenty of it. You will even learn what is tolerable pain and what you need to question. As I sit here my back is screaming. I’m not doing anything different, I sit up straight, don’t lean back in my chair, always have, but right now it hurts. When you take your bra off at the end of the day it’s like unwrapping a bandage that was on too tight. Ow. Shoes and socks can do the same thing. Invest in a pair of sneakers that are half a size bigger, and some really forgiving socks. You don’t want tight socks. My hands hurt so bad I couldn’t even clamp the can opener onto my jar of chili earlier tonight. This is mostly from the carpal tunnel. I had it before I got pregnant so it has been especially bad for me. Yesterday I questioned it. I bent over to pick something up and felt this burning ripping sensation right below my breast bone. It seemed to radiate out to both sides and wrap around my belly. It was awful. I left Bunny to finish cleaning the kitchen and I went to sit for a while. It still aches, like a bruise, but the doctor reassured me that it was normal. He said it’s most likely because my bowel is so pushed up in my body that I probably just pinched something when I bent over. No biggie. These kinds of one time pains happen from time to time. Usually it’s nothing to worry about though.

I am making this all sound pretty dreadful, if rather amusing. It’s not all bad I swear! Not very many people want to talk about pregnant sex. I don’t know why not, it can be pretty fantastic! There are always some women whose men who are freaked out by the concept, and there are some women who don’t want it, or find it too painful. For the women who fall into those categories, get a BOB. This stands for Battery Operated Boyfriend. Trust me, you will appreciate this bit of advice.

Never before has a sex dream made me orgasm… I could stay pregnant forever if it didn’t make me so miserable! – Kara Lottatang

And this is the first pregnancy I got 2nd trimester horny-ness. – Barbie Cucumber

The dreams can really get going too, and not just the sex dreams. You will dream about baby, about ex boyfriends, about your significant other cheating. All kinds of things. Don’t think too much about it, they are dreams, they aren’t real. Dreaming about your ex can simply mean that you’re wondering if you are still attractive, and dreaming about your loved one cheating is as simple as a fear of taking a huge life step alone. It doesn’t mean it’s happening, just like the million miscarriage dreams you will have mean you are going to miscarry. Know what else these crazy vivid pregnant dreams mean? YOU’RE SLEEPING! Relish it, it won’t last. They like to say ‘sleep now while you have the chance!’ I say sleep whenever you have the chance. If you aren’t doing it yet you will soon be waking up a million times a night to pee, roll over, and maybe even check your blood sugar.

I could go on forever about the real things to look forward to during pregnancy, that no one will tell you, but you’ll get it all figured out. Every one of us is different any way. You will probably have to deal with constipation, hemorrhoids, peeing on yourself, weird pains, and crazy dreams. If you’re lucky you will have a really fantastic group of ladies to talk about it all with. There is no reason to be shy, we’re all either dealing with it, going to deal with it, or have dealt with it. If you need to pee your pants, it’s nice to have someone there to lend you a depends.

For the moment at least, I have given up on wearing anything with a heel. Basically I have given up on wearing anything that isn’t my sneakers, or my gel sole flip flops. Well ok, I do wear my slippers from time to time, but even those are a big snug and hard to pull on right now!!! So I guess this is something I have had to give up, that I miss. Oh boy do I miss it. I went out for my birthday in mid July, and I wore a pair of heels. I had to, I can’t wear palazzo pants with flats, I just can’t. I drove to the restaurant barefoot, and drove home the same way. I would do it again too! Well… I like to think I would.

Just a week or so ago I thought I would wear my favorite pair of ankle boots from last fall. I wore these boots EVERYWHERE last year. I could walk in them all day long. I think the thing about them was that they have a solid rubber heel. I never realized what kind of a difference a rubber heel would make. I got them on just fine, they were a little snug. I took a step though, and I about went down. I wouldn’t be wearing these shoes again for a while…

These boots were made for shopping!

I know it’s not considered safe to wear heels while you are pregnant. Your center of balance is all KINDS of screwy,and my balance was never great tobegin with. It took me a while to accept this, and honestly I didn’t stop wearing my beloved darlings until was about 3 months along. That was when they started to feel snug, and I started to notice that my normally abysmal balance was getting worse. I guess to be honest I have to say that wasn’t exactly when I completely stopped wearing heels. I still had a couple pretty important dates ahead of me, and there was no keeping my feet in flats for them.

The bachelorette party.

My wedding was June 25th. I was just a couple weeks shy of 5 months pregnant at that point. I knew it would be hard, but I already had the shoes! I had bent over backwards for months looking for the perfect wedding shoes. I knew that I would need at least two pairs. One pair for the wedding itself, and one for the

The Wedding.

rehearsal dinner. By the time I found out that I was pregnant I already had both of those pairs purchased,

plus one more pair. I decides to get a pair of pink glittery Toms shoes to wear to my reception. I thought it would be cute. Well, when i found out I was pregnant my reception shoes, and their 5 inch heel, were an absolute bust. I would NEVER consider returning them however. Luckily my cousin and maid of honor wanted to do a little theme for my bachelorette party. Jeans, cute tops, and the fanciest shoes we own! I figured 5 inch heels would be safe, especially with me not drinking, and my pink bordellos got to be worn.

The day of the wedding my shoes were tolerable. My actual wedding shoes just had one strap over the toe, and a 1 3/4 inch heel. Easy peasy. I made it through the ceremony and all that without having to take my shoes off, I was so proud. As soon as we got back to the house I kicked those puppies off (and gently placed them back in their tissue paper lined box) and went for the Toms. Egads, they wouldn’t go on! My instep was too swollen! I wore them long enough to get a few pictures, and then switched them out for my flip flops. I regretted it the next day, but I was able to dance all night! That brings me to the jewel of my collection.

A mile in Paris's shoes...

Because the pink bordellos were not usable for my rehearsal dinner I had to find something else. I had had my eye on a pair of Paris Hilton heels that absolutely nobody could keep in stock. I thought that her signature bright pink sole would be an affordable replacement to Louboutin’s signature red one. Everybody that saw these shoes instantly fell in love with them. When I received them I was already almost 4 months pregnant, and my feet were definitely showing it. These however, unlike many of my shoes, are real leather. Which means they stretch. I spent many house laying on my couch with my feet kicked up sporting jams and these shoes. By the time the rehearsal rolled around there were tolerable. They were tight, but they were tolerable. I made it through the rehearsal and dinner without incident. I did have to hold onto Hubby Bunny walking across the ceramic tile to my table, but that is acceptable.

The old...

and the new!

My wedding was three months ago now, I have not worn heels since. I bought a pair. I love ankle boots in the fall, and when a pair shows up on the Kohl’s rack in the middle of summer,marked down, and in my size, I have to have it. Even if they do look an awful lot like last year’s… Well, they are the same color any way. Last year’s pair has almost a 5 inch heel, and a very narrow elegant heel. The ones I just bought, and won’t get to wear until next fall, are more of the every day hiking boot look alike I wear, well used to wear, all the time.

I miss my shoes, when it comes to lifestyle changes for baby, this is a big one. We’ll have to see, but I know this isn’t a permanent change. I’m not crying though, I am buying baby shoes!!! My very first purchase for this baby was a pair of pink fuzzy shoes. I didn’t even plan it out that way. It wasn’t as though I walked into the baby section that day thinking I would pick up some baby shoes. They happened to be on an end cap display, and they grabbed me by the elbow and demanded to go home with me. This has happened to me a number of times by a number of pairs of shoes. It didn’t frighten me, I calmly placed the tiny shoes in my cart, and home with me they went. Honestly, I think i am ok with baby shoe shopping being more regular than Mommy shoe shopping, those pink fuzzies were only 5 bucks! In the meantime I will stick to my sneakers and flip flops. Now that you’re pregnant, what do you miss that used to be part of your day to day life?

Recently in a pregnancy group I am in online I saw this letter posted. I read it, and laughed to myself. I personally have not really experienced much of this, but the girls I talk to have plenty of stories. They tell these stories, and are obviously very hurt by what was said or done. Then, at the end of every story, they all ask the same question, “What should I do?” That seems like it should have the obvious answer “tell them they hurt you.” Why is it not that easy?

It seems to me that as soon as a woman becomes pregnant many people don’t view her as her own person any more. People take liberties with pregnant women that they would never take with any one else. Try this, walk to up an obviously not pregnant woman and grab her belly, she will slap you. However if you do the same to a pregnant woman she will sigh, obviously annoyed, and just walk away. Why? Well, the same reason when you comment on their weight to both of these same women. The pregnant woman is already used to being regarded as public property, the non pregnant woman… not so much.

So why doesn’t the pregnant woman just simply say ‘hey don’t do that’? Well, if she doesn’t know you she might. She might even slap you just as fast as the other woman. If you are someone she knows though, she won’t want to do that. She wants you to be a part of her baby’s life and so won’t alienate you. Unfortunately people take this as an opportunity to take advantage. Personally I am glad to be one of those pregnant women whose family, both on my side and my husband’s, have more sense than that. I have not been told to do this, don’t do that, what are you thinking, bla bla bla. My husband and I both come from pretty forward thinking backgrounds. It really makes me feel bad seeing women that I care about going through these kinds of shenanigans.

So, when this letter was posted, and all these girls laughed, i laughed along. I have heard a story for pretty much every point here. I did not, however, laugh at the comments some of the girls made following this post. A few people reposted it on their Facebook pages as a note, but only a few. More than a few said they wanted to but they were afraid it would offend somebody. What?! Here, read the letter…

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me — then you should probably read this twice.

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father — not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’.

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it…

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.

6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Sincerely,

All the Pregnant Women in the World

Yea, ok, so it’s kind of blunt and to the point. If you really read it though, whoever wrote this is merely asking for the basic level of respect you would expect between two people. Don’t touch me without invitation, don’t insult me, don’t tell me what to do or how to live, and don’t interfere with my day to day activities in a way that would be detrimental to me and my family. I am not stupid, I am an adult, and I don’t want you hanging out in my bedroom. Seems reasonable enough, so why are people worried about this letter being offensive?

The wording does edge on offensive, I will give it that. While the line about Ticketmaster was cute, it is quite, well, snarky. I appreciated that, but I can see how some people might not. I think the main reason the pregnant women I am friend with think this would offend their friends and families is because of the level of entitlement people feel toward mother and baby. I don’t know where this entitlement comes from, but it really shouldn’t be there. These new parents, whether it be their first or fiftieth child, are excited and full of joy. There are some things you may simply not want to share, such as the first day you bring your baby home from the hospital. Just be respectful of the new parents. Especially be considerate of the feelings of the pregnant woman. When you see a letter like this, take it for what it is. This is not an attempt to cut you off, this is a desperate plea to be treated with respect.

People are very quit to write a pregnant woman’s feelings off. Oh, she is just hormonal right? Wrong. She isn’t just hormonal, you just told her she was fat! If we all stop taking these ridiculous liberties with pregnant woman, maybe when someone has real, good, worthwhile advice to give they won’t have to feel like they aren’t allowed to approach an expectant mother and give her a few uplifting words and a little good advice. This Mom over at Maternique had a few good words she would have liked to share, but was unable.

I admit, I thought people who offered all that advice were being know-it-alls. That is, until I found myself wanting to tell this woman she didn’t need even half that stuff she was buying.

I wanted to tell her that her favorite moments with baby would include none of the things on the list she was consulting. I wanted to tell her that what mattered more than who comes to the baby shower is who shows up for you after the baby actually arrives.

I wanted to tell her that this experience would, indeed, turn her world upside down, but she would love the view from there. I wanted to tell her this would be harder than she thought, but she was stronger than she could imagine.

I have to post this now, before the clock hits midnight, or it won’t be the same!!! Today I am exactly 27 weeks, which means I am exactly 6 months pregnant! I’m not sure where I get this idea, but 6 months seems like such a milestone to me. Probably because it marks my entry into the third trimester.

I’m really starting to get excited about this baby, it feels so real now. That and I can really feel her… I am willing to bet that, had I been looking that direction, I would have seen my belly jump a couple times one morning. It was the first time I had felt her from the outside, and I couldn’t stop giggling. It was early morning and I was resisting it, laying in bed reading before the need to pee overtook me. She was just dancing away and I was enjoying it. When she started kicking the same spot pretty hard a couple of times I laid my hand over it, just to see if I could feel it. Oh I felt it all right! She kicked me pretty hard, twice. I tried to wake Hubby Bunny up so he could feel it, but he as so groggy he didn’t know what was going on, and she stopped before he could figure it out. Soon I hope.

I don’t remember what I was going yesterday, probably watching tv, and all of a sudden it struck me. I’m pregnant. This little outfit I am knitting? My baby will be wearing this in just about 3 more months. So I guess it’s time to start thinking about the real things I need to know. Bottles, diapers, bedding, parenting… I have a lot to learn yet. I haven’t read into it much, but I think I am leaning toward attachment parenting. Although I am not comfortable with co-sleeping. She takes up too much room in the bed as it is!

I have a few hurdles to overcome as far as breastfeeding. I don’t think many, if any, people around me truly understand what it means to breastfeed exclusively. Well, my husband does, he is very supportive. As a matter of fact he was the first of us to say it out loud. I didn’t even realize he had strong feelings about it until he (jokingly) announced to me that I would be doing it. It seems like a simple choice, do it or don’t. Wow I had no clue how much else would go into it! Aside form people not understanding, or having these preconceived ideas born out of societal norms, it’s going to be a lot of work itself. Never before have I heard the term ‘nipple confusion.’ Really? That’s real? Yea, apparently. No bottles, no binkies, not until breastfeeding is firmly established. Know what else that means? No babysitters! Eep! Not that I think I will have any kind of desire to be separated from my little miss at all, but what if something did come up? I guess I’m not going…

I won’t sleep with her in my bed, but I am willing to put her next to my bed where I can easily reach her. We’ll see how it all goes, I need to get a book on attachment parenting and decide if that is for sure going to be our method, but I am sure it will be. The time has come to decide, as well as to pack my overnight bag! Just in case she makes an early debut…

Bad day is bad! Today my lower back is absolutely killing me. I can hardly stand up at all, much less straight. Even looking at the basket if towels I was going to fold today made me want to cry and I had Sean hide them in the bathroom so I wouldn’t have to look at them.

I have gained less than 20 pounds so far, but on days like today it sure feels like a lot more. Sean is sweet, he said it doesn’t look like it either. My sense if balance is completely off though, which doesn’t help when I can’t stand up straight to walk into the kitchen.

It didn’t turn out all that bad though. I made pork chops, mashed potatoes, and corn for dinner and it was fantastic. I have peanut butter swirl (my favorite) for later. Right now I am watching Stand By Me, one of my all time favorite stories, with my wonderful husband. Oh, and little miss is rolling around all over, making me forget how crummy my day was.

I have been reading Facebook posts about the Due in December girls feeling their babies kick, and I have been so jealous the entire time. I hadn’t felt my little one squirm at all, at least I didn’t think I had. There were a couple instances where I would have sworn she was dancing on my right kidney, but it only happened twice, and I wasn’t very sure. I figured, it just wasn’t my time for it yet.

As I started to get a little farther along I started looking up ways to get her to move. I tried the flash light and ice water. We used my phone to play music for her, and I tried laying on my belly and being very still. Nothing worked, I never felt anything. My Mom mentioned to me that she never felt me when she was pregnant, so I just let it go.

I was about 24 weeks when I started to get a little worried about not feeling her. I always get anxious right before my next appointment. Every month I start to worry something is wrong with her shortly before I go in, but every time she is just fine. This time the anxiety was worse. Maybe the stress of life these days added to it, who knows, but I was worried. Usually Hubby Bunny can keep me calm until the appointment, but this week it just didn’t work, I needed confirmation.

I guess it didn’t really help that I had seen 2 stories about women suddenly and inexplicably losing their babies during their third trimester… I can’t say anything about these stories being posted on our board, that’s part of what the group is about. If we can’t deal with other people’s sad stories, how can we ever hope to support one another if it happens to us? So, I sucked it up, and read the stories, but they really got to me.

I posted on the board about it, jsut to get a little support from the other girls. They are pretty awesome and made me feel a lot better, and most importantly, made me feel like it was ok to call my doctor about this. I don’t call him, at all, I don’t want to be a nuisance. When I have a question I either keep it until my next appointment or I research it to death until I am satisfied. I can’t really Google ‘is my baby’s heart still beating’ and hope to get a reliable answer though.

So when I was 24 weeks and 2 days along I called my doctor’s office. The receptionist said she’d send a message to the traige nurse and I would get a call back. The nurse called back before too long, and she was super nice. I told her I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time, I was probably over reacting. She puts my concerns to rest, and told me she would go see what the doctor thinks and give me a call back. A few minutes later she called me back and told me he had asked for me to come in.

Well, of course our girl had a good strong heart beat, I felt a little bit silly for over reacting, but much better now that I knew. The doctor even said that peace of mind is priceless, and I wholeheartedly agreed. The really embarrassing thing about all this? It happened on a Tuesday, and my next appointment, which included an ultrasound, was on that Thursday. I couldn’t wait 2 whole days to find out.

So yea, that was last week, a week ago today to be exact. I am now 25 weeks and 2 days. Sunday night I started to feel her wiggle a bit. Yesterday morning I was feeling it a little more. Last night she was wiggling around all over the place, and gave me to really good hard kicks in the gut. Now? Wow, I think she needs Ritalin! She is ALL OVER the place! I did read somewhere that this is when they start to turn from breach to heads down, so maybe that’s what she is doing. Although if that’s the case she is going the long way.

When I had my ultrasound she had her head on my right side and her bottom on my left, and her little feeties were pointed straight up into my stomach. My placenta is mostly in front and a bit over the top, so that’s what she was kicking and why I couldn’t feel it. Now, you’d think that if she was turning head down that she would go the short way. Well apparently not, if that’s her goal right now she is going through breach to get there! I almost wish she’d take a nap, but not really. It’s so nice finally feeling her and knowing she is there and doing ok.